Social Psych Ch 13 Vocab

Adaptation-Level Theory

Idea that people adapt to new situations in life and then return to their previous level of well-being

Affective Forecasting

Predicting the intensity and duration of our emotional responses to future events

Collective Trap

Situation in which many individuals seek to maximize their own gains in a rational manner, resulting in cumulative damage or harm

Durability Bias

Tendency to overestimate how long one’s emotional reactions to future events will last

External Validity

Extent to which the results of a study can be generalized or applied to other settings and populations (also called generalizability)

Eudaimonic Happiness

Deep, longer-lasting contentment or general satisfaction with life associated with living a meaningful life

Extrinsic Orientation

View of religion as a means to nonreligious ends

Focalism

Placing too much emphasis on the focal event and too little on the nonfocal events

Generalizability

Extent to which the results of a study can be generalized or applied to other settings and populations (also called external validity)

Happiness (Subjective Well-Being)

Combination of temporary positive and negative feelings and overall life satisfaction

Hedonic Happiness

Short-term pleasure people derive from things like chocolate, sex, or a new pair of pants

Hedonic Treadmill

Idea that people move forward through life but their level of happiness remains about the same

Immune Neglect

Tendency for people to ignore their ability to psychologically rebound from emotional setbacks and negative events

Intrinsic Orientation

View of religion as an end in itself

Missing-Hero Trap

Situation in which action or information is required to solve a problem, bit no one steps forward to take the action or supply the information, despite being able to do so

Mundane Realism

Making a study similar to the relevant real-world setting in all important respects

One-Person Trap

Present when a person satisfies his or her short-term needs at the expense of long-term ones

Positive Psychology

Focuses on optimal human functioning, including what is good and/or adaptive about humans

Quest Orientation

View of religion as an open-ended process of trying to answer existential questions

Random Selection or Sampling

When every individual in a population has an equal probability of being chosen for inclusion in the study

Religiousness

Extent to which a person is involved in religion

Representative Sampling

When a study sample that mirrors the relevant population on the variables that matter, such as frequencies of gender, age, language, or ethnicity

Set Point

The level of well-being to which a person typically returns after experiencing significant life events

Social Dilemmas or Social Traps

Situations in which individuals choose between maximizing their own beneficial outcomes and maximizing those of the group

Sunk-Cost Effect

Tendency for people to be reluctant to give up on a course of action that they have invested time, money, and/or effort into, even if it is in their best interest to do so